BOTTOMLEY SENTENCED.

Grey River Argus, 31 May 1922, Page 5

BOTTOMLEY SENTENCED.

A SALUTARY STRETCH. HOW NEWSPAPERS ARE BOUGHT. £A. and N. Z. Cable l LONDON, May 29. ! Mr Justice Salter, in summing up, j advised the jury not to consider whet- | her Bottomley was patriotic or whet- ’ her he had done much for the country or in pursuit of private gain. If the jury were convinced that he did dishonest things, it should convict. There was no excuse for Bottomley to say that he would make restitution. ! Referring to the evidence that counterfoil books were used in connection with the Victory Bond certificates issued, the judge asked:—“Where are the counterfoils? This is not a case of au uneducated person who had a few pound entrusted to him and got muddled. It is a case of an able and efficient business man, who received important sums of money from people who trusted him, a man who appreciates, like any business man in London, the importance of correct accounts. Any honest account, however kept, would have rendered it impossible for Bottornley to appropriate great sums without immediate detection. The thing had come to light through Bigland issuing his pamphlet, ami the subsequent proceedings. The Judge said that the charge of appropriating £57,000 drawn for the purpose of buying newspapers was the most important transaction embraced in the charges. At that time, the Victory Club did not owe Bottomley any money, yet when he did not succeed in borrowing £lOO,OOO from the bank in the Club's name, he raised it through a solicitor by means of Victory Bonds. The money was used to buy newspapBottomley was convicted, and sentenced to seven years’ penal servitude. LONDON, May 29. Crowds outside and inside the Old B: iley awaited the conclusion of the Bottomley trial. Bottomley at the outset sat the solicitor’s table. At the termination of the Crown Prosecutor's speech he rose, and said, “I now go to the place where the accused usually goes,’ 1 ’ and he entered the dock. bottomley was unmoved by the verdict, except that !iis face flushed. He commenced quest ion vg the Judge, but when told that it was unusual to allow prisoners in eases of misdemeanour to

speak before being sentenced, he retorted scornfully, “Had it been so, I should have had something rather offensive to say about your summing up.” Subsequently Bottomley collapsed. The crowd were excited and astonished at the severity of the sentence. LONG SERIES OF HEARTLESS FRAUDS. JUDGE SCARIFIES THE CRIMINAL (Received May 30, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 29. After the jury had returned their verdict in the Bottomley case, tho Judge said: “Bottomley, you have been rightly convicted of a long series of heartless frauds. These poor people trusted you. You robbed them of £150,000. Your crime is aggravated by your high position, by the number and poverty of your victims, by trust they reposed in you, by the magnitude of vour frauds, and by the callous effrontery with which your frauds were committed. ’ ’ VERDICT POPULAR. Bottomley heard the sentence unmoved, but acclamations arose throughout the court. When order was restored, Bottomley asked whether he could consult his solicitors regarding an immediate notice of appeal. The Judge: Certainly! EXPULSION FROM PARLIAMENT.

The House of Commons will take no action against Bottomley until his appeal is heard. If it is unsuccessful, the Government will submit a motion of expulsion. In a ease of felony, membership of the House automatically lapses, but the House must consider the circumstances in a case of misdemeanour. PRESS COMMENT. LONDON, May 29. The noswpapors generally approve the sentence on Bottomley. The “Daily News’’ says: “It has taxed the energies of the ablest lawyers and publicists to bring him to book. The public owes a debt of gratitude to those who did not relax their determination to expose him.